Hiyu is a true mixed farm, with pigs, cows, chickens, ducks, and geese living among the vines at different times of the year and helping control the vegetation. Nate calls their vineyard management, deeply influenced by Masanobu Fukuoka, “the wild side of permaculture”. The property is divided into half-acre blocks, each planted as a field blend from a different place or moment in the grapevine's genetic history, with up to 150 different varieties and clones in total.
The name “Hiyu” comes from Chinook Jargon, where it denotes “abundance”, “plenty” or “big party”. Nate Ready worked as a sommelier at several fine establishments, including the lauded Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Napa Valley. China Tresemer, the estate’s co-founder and agriculturalist, is also a talented illustrator who creates all the labels.
Manual harvest into small baskets, whole-cluster macerations, foot-treading and basket press, slow fermentation with indigenous yeasts only. Aged in old neutral oak barrels of various sizes. No fining or filtration, no sulfur at bottling.
